Combined refrigerator and display counter



Jan. ze ,1926. 1,570,811

E. A. wu KlNsoN COMBINED REFRIGERATOR "ND DISPLAY COUNTER Filed August:5, 1925 .enlarged scale; and

Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

Umrun lsrmlzs ELZA A. WILKINSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED REFRIGERATOR AND DISPLAY COUNTER.

Application led August 8, 1925. Serial No. 47,915.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ELzA A. WILKINSON, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, in thecount of San Francisco and State of California, llave invented a new anduseful Combined Refrigfor relatively large cuts of meat. By com biningthe storage feature of the present invention with a display counter, thecounter attendant is anabled to obtain yreplenishments for the stock ondisplay from the storage space of the counter and thereby avoid thedelay which has heretofore resulted in making trips from the counter tothe well known form of storage box usually located in a remote portionof the establishment.

The above and other objects are accomplished by instrumentalities`pointed out in the following specification.

I The invention is clearly defined in the claims. y

A satisfactory embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings forming part of the speclication and in which: v

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectio of the complete invention;

' Figure 2 is a vertlcal cross section takenon the line 2-2 of Figure 1and on a slightly Figure 3 is a vertical cross section -on the line 3-3of Figure 1, wherein the contents is removed from the storagecompartment. In carrying out the present invention, I

provide a cabinet or counter 'a of conventional contourand modify thiselement in certain exterior and interior details of construction so as'to conformwith my invention.

' The cabinet a has the vusual insulated bottomA 5, side walls 6 and 7end wallsS and 9, and top 10. To adapt the cabinet to function as arefrigerator,"the front side wall 6 is by preference constructed with alower imperforate area extending for the length'of the wall andindicated jby`11, land lthe upper portion of the said side wall 6 isconstructed as a frame in which are set several transparent plates 12 ofglass so as to afford a view of the interior of the casing, the platesbeing arranged in spaced relation one behind the other so as to providethe conventional insulating airl pockets.

The top 10 is constructed as a frame and has an internal continuousrabbet 13. The top frame receives the top plate 14 which is rabbeted tointerfitl with the rabbet 13 and is removably secured to the top frameby the screws 15. lThe top plate is also constructed as a frame and hasfitted therein transparencies in the form of plates of glass 16 throughwhich the interior'of the cabinet may be observed. By having the top vplate removably secured, ready access to the interior of the cabinet forthe purpose of introducing, removing or inspecting the refrigerating aparatus (hereinafter to be descrlbed) is ha he upper and lower portionsof the inner sidewall 7 are formed each with a plurality of door framesvfor the reception of a plurality of 'lower doors 17 and up er doorsl 18.These several doors are by pre erence connected to the cabinet byhinges, and close the openings in which they are arranged, the saidopenings being provided for giving access to the upper and lowerVportions of the cabinet.

The interior' of the cabinet is divided into an upper or displaycompartment19 and a lower or storage compartment 20. The division wallbetween these compartments is indicated generally by b and extends inthe direction of the length of thecabinet and is disposed at the middleportion thereof. This division wall is constructed so that its oppositesides are connected to the oposite side walls 6 and 7 ofthe cabinet, but

its end walls are spaced from the adjacent through the coil. cThe unit23 is horizontally disposed within the cabinet or counter and isarranged above a drip pan 26 which has upstandin ianges 27 providingsupportingsills for t e opposite end portions of the unit 23. Theopposite side portions of the drip pan 26 bear upon ledges 28longitudinally disposed on the innerfaces of the side 'walls 6 and 7.The drip pan slopes down- Wardly from. the passage 21 to the passage 22and terminates in a gutter29 provided with an outlet pipe 30 which isdirected l counter. v d

into an-outlet 31 in the bottom 5 of the Ardisplay tray comprising abody 32 of foraminousmaterial is disposed above'the refrigerating unit23 andby preference is arranged so as to slope upwardly and rearwardlyfrom the front side wall 6, in which position it is supported bylongitudinally disposed ledges 33 on theopposite inner faces ofthe sidewalls 6 and 7. The display tray 32is adapted to form a support for r thematerial to be displayed, which in pracof its entire contents.

tice is usually arranged upon dishes ortheir equivalents 34C, and thetray is so disposed' with relation to the transparencies 12 and-V permitobservation 18 of the side walls as to In additionpto the communicationbetween the compartments 19 and 20 afforded by the passages 21 and 22,further communication is elected through a series of ducts in l the formof tubes 35 which are arranged for 35 wardly through the middleportions'of the.`

spaced distances apart and extend downcasing-23 and through thecorresponding portion of the dri pan 26. The upper ends of the tubes areanged as indicated b 36 in Figure 2, the tubes being removably tted inthe openings of the casin and pan, as shown, and supported by theanges36.

`A transversely disposed bridge. wall or i baille 37 extends .upwardlyfrom oneend of the' drlp pan 26 remote from the gutter 29.V

This baffle extendsv across-the space between u"the side -walls'6 andv 7and yforms one side of the'passage 21, and its upper-end extends vabovethe display tray 32 and adacent Vto the top 10, the intervenin[fspaceetween the baille and the top vformurga continuationof `thepassage 21.

meats such` as steaks, chops, or other perishable material for vfillingsmall orders, are

arranged for display in the receptacles 34 upon the display tray 32,while the larger or market cuts' are disposed within the' lowercompartment'20, where their presence is hidden by the walls of thecounter. When the refrigerating unit is rendered active by circulationof refrigerant through the coil thereof, the air in the lowerVcompartment is first chilled and moves downwardly. This establishes acirculation of air through the AIn he as@ of the device', smul ne o fythis difference in the rate of circulation iny different portions of theinterior of the counter, the entire body of air Within the counter isconstantly and rapidly circulated with the result that low temperaturesare qulckly had and readily maintained throughout the interior of thecounter.

In instances where conditions might requlre the provlsion of mechamcalmeans as lan auxiliary for eiectmg clrculation within the counter,'a fanblower 38 may be provided and arranged within one `end portion of thelower space 20, preferably at the lower end of the passage 22, as shownin Figure 1.

, From tle foregoing it is'to be observed that when the counter of thepresent invention 1s in use, the cooll air is permitted to circulateentirely around the material dis posed within the counter, in that theforaminous body 32oifers no impediment to circulation in connection withthe displayvshelf, andanother layerof foraminous material '39 arrangedupon the upper face of the bottom 5 permits of circulation of the coldair around the material arranged thereon. Condensation formingupon thesurface of the receptacles 34 or upon the casing 23 and fallingltherefrom is intercepted by the drip pan 26 and conveyed Vto the outlet31. Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention,it is to be `understood that the same is susceptible of various changes;and I reserve the right to employ such as ma come within the scope ofthe appended c aims.

Iclaimr 1 1. A combined refri erator and display counter comprising a cainet interio-rly provided withan u per com artment for receiving thematerial to be isplayed, a lower compartment for receiving thematerialto be stored and vertically extending passages `at the oppositeends of the compartments for placing the compartments-in communicationwith one another, a division'wall between said compartments extendinglongitudinally.V and transversely of the centralportion ofy theA cabinetfromone of said passages to the other and includin a refrigerating unit,and means for circulating air from one of Said vcompartments into theother and through the said passages.

2. yA combined refrigerator and display rcounter comprising.V a cabinethaving opposite sideV and end walls, a division wall centrally locatedwithin the cabinet and extending from apoint adjacent to one of the endwalls thereof to a point adjacent the oppo-` site end lwall whereby endpassages are prolvvided, and upper and lower compartments,

said division wall including a tray having a oraminous base ortion forsupporting the material to be isplayed, a refrigerating unit locatedbelow and in spaced relation to the tray, a drip' pan incliningdownwardly from one end of thelower side of the refrigerator unit, and abaille plate located at. the higher end of the drip pan in one of saidpassages and extending upwardly in spacedy relation to the tray beyondthe space between the refrigerating unit and the tray for deflectingcurrents of air upon the downvwardly inclined surface of the drip panand into the space between the refrigeratlng unit and the tray.

3. A combined refrigerator and 'display counter comprising a cabinethaving opposite side and end Walls, a divisionvwall centrall locatedwithin the cabinet and extend` ing rom a point adjacent to one of theend walls thereof to a point adjacent the opposite end wall whereby endpassages are provided, and upper and lower compartments,` said .divisionwall including a tray having a foraminous' base portion for supportingthe material to be displayed, a refrigcrating unit located below and inspaced relation to the tray,'a drip pan located below and in spacedrelation to the refrigerating unit, and a plurality of'open endedtubular sections extending through the drip pan and the refrigerati-ngunit and into the space between the tray and the drip pan and into thelower compartment,

ELZA A. wILKINsoiv.

